19.03.10 - Foresters Frustrated By Tulse Hill
Usually, watching the Foresters is a hugely rewarding and enjoyable
pastime. Usually.
But not this match.
In a game of 6 yellow cards (2 to the home side and 4 to the
Foresters), the initial general impression would be that it was a hard
fought physical game. Not true. The vast majority of the cards were for “dissent” – which is entirely unacceptable at any level of hockey as it not only destroys the game as an enjoyable spectacle but also prevents teams from playing to their full potential.
The match started promisingly for the Foresters with Fisher hitting the
post after only 3 minutes. However the initial flashpoint in the match
came after only 9 minutes when Murphy and a Tulse Hill forward collided in a one on one situation. An umpire’s conference took place and the resulting decision was a penalty flick which seemed surprisingly harsh and was hotly and rashly disputed by the visitors. The resulting flick was duly converted (1 – 0).
Unsurprisingly (but unnecessarily), the issue of the penalty flick
unsettled the Foresters and just four minutes later they were further
behind when Tulse Hill converted from a penalty corner (2 – 0). The
Foresters then pulled themselves together and began to dominate the
game, probing the well organised and packed home defence. Two Foresters short corners went begging before Gunn fired home with an angled drive from the edge of the D on 16 minutes (2 – 1).
The Foresters attacks gained impetus and Gunn saw another effort saved on 23 minutes as was a Fisher short corner on 23 minutes. On 31 minutes, Tulse Hill put together probably the best move of the match to carve open the Foresters and extend the lead (3 – 1).
The second half saw a procession of short corners for the Foresters and a rash of yellow cards for both sides which destroyed the game. Ed Tudor accelerated into the home D to spectacularly deflect a Gunn
pass home on 38 minutes (3 – 2) to give the Foresters some hope. Then came the cards and with them any chance of the Foresters retrieving the situation notwithstanding their superior possession, pressure and unconverted short corners (6 to the home side’s zero). Butcher and Gunn also both went wide before this unhappy match drew to its welcome conclusion.
One Forester’s player stated that it was a game to forget.
Understandable perhaps, but absolutely the opposite is true. Lessons
need to be learnt from this match and quickly to ensure that there is
no future repetition. ‘Nuff said (at least until pre – match next
Saturday….)
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